After Senate recommends charges vs PhilHealth execs, Duque calls probe findings 'baseless'
MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Duque III on Wednesday decried the findings of the Senate's probe into alleged anomalies and corruption within PhilHealth, citing a supposed lack of evidence.
"The Senate made baseless findings on mere allegations. I am for zero tolerance on fraud and corruption," Duque told the House of Representatives, which is conducting its own investigation into the state-run agency.
The upper chamber on Tuesday bared its recommendation that the Justice Department file charges of malversation, illegal use of public funds,and graft against Duque for the illegal implementation of the IRM, which is meant to help healthcare institutions to continue operations amid calamitous or fortuitous events.
In addition to this, the Senate urged the DOJ to file charges of malversation, violation of Internal Revenue Code and graft against Duque for failure to withhold tax liabilities related to the IRM.
The upper chamber also recommended that the DOJ take legal action against former PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, former Senior Vice Presient (SVP) Rodolfo del Rosario Jr., Executive Vice President Arnel De Jesus, and several other senior vice presidents of the agency.
COVID-19 funds released to hospitals
Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday emphasized Duque's liability for the alleged irregular release of IRM funds, citing his "institutional memory" having served at PhilHealth for almost two decades now.
"Nung nagkaroon ng problema sa implementasyon ng IRM, in position of responsibility na doon si Secretary Duque and therefore would be responsible under the principle of command responsibility," Hontiveros told ANC's "Matters of Fact."
(When problems arose in the implementation of IRM, Secretary Duque held a position of responsibility and therefore would be responsible under the principle of command responsibility.)
She further challenged Duque to disprove allegations that he is the "godfather" of the alleged "mafia" of corrupt executives at PhilHealth.
"He should be the one who sheds the most light on the existence of any and all mafias within the PhilHealth and mafia-like activities conducted by them in order to dismantle them," Hontiveros said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Duque on Wednesday renewed his defense of the IRM, saying that it was implemented early on because it was difficult to assess the gravity of the pandemic at its onset.
The Senate on Tuesday alleged that the IRM was a "void and defective policy," saying "there was no set of criteria" for which healthcare institutions were qualified to receive money from the fund.
In addition to this, the upper chamber called the release of over P14 billion in IRM funds to hospitals from March 25 to June 9 "illegal and invalid," reasoning that the IRM should have only been deemed effective on June 11.
Despite his earlier defense, Duque was sure to distance himself from the IRM's implementation at the onset of the pandemic, telling the House Wednesday that he was preoccupied as chairman of the government's COVID-19 task force.
"I wasn't able to join the study of the [IRM] in the earlier days because of the gravity of my work as [COVID-19 task force] chairman," he said in Filipino.
"Ang aking tinutugunan ay yung mismong paglaki ng bilang ng COVID-19. Talagang napakahirap ng aking trabaho. (What I was focused on was the rising number of COVID-19 [cases.] My job is really so hard."
Senators have also criticized Duque's handling of the COVID-19 crisis as health secretary, with over half of the upper chamber calling for his resignation.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. is facing scrutiny anew over more allegations of corruption.
It was in the headlines last year because of an alleged scam involving payments to WellMed Dialysis Center for treatments charged for a patient who had already died.
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The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation announces that the agency has released P500 million as partial payment to the Philippine Red Cross.
"PhilHealth takes exception to the insinuation that it is reckless and is playing on people’s lives. Its prudence in taking charge of its members’ hard-earned contributions is central to the state health insurer. Its exercise of judiciousness is to protect the people and their funds", PhiHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran says in a statement.
PhilHealth has released P50 million as partial payment to the Philippine Red Cross, PhilHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran says.
"PhilHealth takes exception to the insinuation that it is reckless and is playing on people’s lives. Its prudence in taking charge of its members’ hard-earned contributions is central to the state health insurer," Gierran says.
The state insurer adds that it will expedite the processing of its remaining balance to Red Cross following strict compliance to government accounting rules and regulations.
Two committees in the House approve a report recommending the filing of administrative and criminal charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, former PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and other officials over the widespread corruption in the state health insurer.
President Rodrigo Duterte says the government will compensate the Philippine Red Cross for COVID-19 tests.
The Red Cross recently halted conducting tests due to the P930 million debt of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for the conduct of COVID-19 tests for the government.
"I don't think Sen. (Richard) Gordon would have in his mind to stop. What I'm trying to say is we will pay," Duterte says in a recorded address aired Monday night.
The Philippine Red Cross will stop conducting COVID-19 tests chargeable to PhilHealth due to the state insurer's outstanding balance.
PRC says it will no longer receive specimens for testing of OFWs, those arriving in airports and seaports, individuals through mega swabbing facilities, frontline health and government workers, and others included in the expanded testing guidelines of the DOH.
"The PRC does not have unlimited resources to replenish the testing kits for its laboratories unless PhilHealth, its major creditor, settles its lawful obligations to the PRC," PRC says in a statement dated October 14.
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